When At a Crossroad
by RASmus
Summary: [Santa Clause] Full title: When at a crossroad there is only right or wrong, there is no left. Friends find soul mates in eachother but when faced with a tragedy can Bernard believe in the magic of christmas?
1. Insight

**Disclaimer: **Don't own the Santa clause never will, it's not real, all of this is just a figment of my imagination!

Prelude:

Nine year old Sarah trailed behind Bernard as he walked up to meet the new Santa.

"Do you always have to do that?" Bernard asked pestered by this shadow he'd been trying to shake.

"No" Sarah replied. "But I'm going to do it anyway."

These two never got along, and it seemed never will, but the truth was they loved each other and would die if one were to go away. Bernard had found her, she was human, it had been two years ago, she had been abandoned on Christmas Eve in a cold shack in Finland, and Bernard had found her while making his rounds around the world, just to keep things in check. He brought her back to the North Pole and ever since they had been inseparable. They had started fighting sense the day after she arrived, but still she seldom trusted anyone but Bernard.

Another year would go by, and Sarah started to show signs of elfishness, one day she ran in to Bernard's room at midnight just to show him that she could tie her shoes with magic. This started another fight because Bernard hardly felt this a reason to wake him up and then they both fell asleep on Bernard's bed, while Bernard held her to keep her warm like a little sister.

It was also the time Sarah started to show a growing appetite to be mischievous and quite frankly a 10 year old. It was then that Scott Calvin called her into his office.

"Yes Santa" Sarah asked nervously, she hoped he hadn't found out about accidentally letting out the reindeer.

"Sarah, it's come to my attention that you've been causing some trouble, which is understandable after all you are a ten year old child. So I've discussed it over with my ex-wife and we've seen fit to send you there, where you can go to public schools and lead a normal girl's life."

"Really? erm ok I guess that would be fun…"

"And of course you can come back and see Bernard on the weekends as long as you're a good girl and keep your grades up"

Sarah's face lit up. "OK! When do I go?"

"As soon as possible."

Sarah cried when she had to let Bernard go, and even made him spend the night at her new house with her, but Bernard still feared what he thought the inevitable. That one day she would forget, or not believe in Santa, but every weekend she would scream his name for him to come and pick her up to go back to the north pole, and every weekend he'd be on the edge of his seat waiting to see if this would be the weekend she wouldn't call for him… till one Saturday she didn't. It was her 13th birthday and he had a present for her. After freaking out on Curtis for something that wasn't even the 2nd in commands fault he turned around to find her standing there. Along with her other worldly presents, on her birthday nature found it suiting to give her the ability to magically make her way to the north pole by her self. It was that day Bernard ceased worrying about her forgetting Santa, and most importantly himself.


	2. Two Confessions

It was Sarah's 17th birthday, and all Bernard could do was sit by the fire and think about her. She'd be coming of age by elf standards, but she had said she wanted to spend her birthday with her friends. Lately things about Sarah had been confusing Bernard, well really the feelings Bernard got around her. He just couldn't understand why he saw her as so pretty…

"Bernard?"

Bernard spun around to find Sarah standing in the door way. She wore black and blue bondage pants with a white turtleneck that had another white knit short sleeve shirt on top. Her red hair was down for once so it reached her shoulders, and she wore an elf hat that fell to her mid back. Bernard couldn't help but feel there was something very different about her though.

"Sorry for the pants..." Sarah blushed "I know you think they're silly."

"By all means they look fine, but why aren't you out with friends?" Bernard asked.

"Well... I was out with friends, but it didn't feel right not celebrating my coming of age with out you."

Bernard moved closer to her to give her a hug when Curtis burst through the door.

"You two, Santa's office, NOW!"

"Curtis!"

"Erm sorry sir, Santa would like you in his office right now please." Bernard wouldn't take any crap from Curtis, and Sarah loved that, she started laughing as they walked by him, and stuck her tongue out at him.

The two friends stood side by side in front of Scott. He addressed Sarah first.

"Sarah could you take your hat off for me please?"

Sarah blushed but obliged. Bernard gasped and almost dropped his cup of cocoa when he saw Sarah's pointed ears.

"It seems Mother Nature decided Sarah was to be an elf, and didn't tell me." Santa explained. "I thought that might have been what happened when Sarah's name wasn't on the Naughty Nice list."

Bernard realized the change, her hair had crystals in it, her cheeks were sparkling, and her ears were pointed, like any other elf. She had truly come of age.

Later that night Sarah stood next to Bernard as they looked down into the elf town from the balcony in Sarah's room.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" Bernard asked.

"Ohm…surprise?"

Bernard looked peeved, but laughed anyways. It was nice to be with Sarah again, especially this close to Christmas, it was hectic, and she gave him an excuse to stop worrying. Bernard suddenly remembered her birthday present.

Bernard handed her a package, and blushed. "I hope you like it."

Sarah opened it up. "Bernard it's beautiful." She pulled out a snow globe that was an exact replica of the town. When she shook it Bernard appeared and smiled up at her.

"This way I'll always be with you." Bernard whispered into her ear.

Sarah wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek. "Thank you, thank you so much."

"Bernard?"

"Yes?"

"There's one last thing I want to confess."

Bernard looked at her concerned. "What is it?"

Sarah looked into his eyes. "I love you" She kissed him, and surprisingly Bernard felt himself kissing her back.

Sarah's POV

Sarah passed her bedroom that evening, stopping every now and then to look into the mirror. How in God's name was she suppose to explain these ears? More importantly… what would Bernard think? Oh yes she had crushed on him for a long time. Recently though a crush had turned into an affection.

The door bell rang and shortly after Charlie yelled up the stairs that her friends were here. They were going out to celebrate her 17th birthday. Sarah decided to shove her elf hat on quickly and go.

They all went out to dinner and were having a great time, but Sarah's mind kept going to Bernard. She felt she had to be there with him. She ignored it for as long as she could but soon she couldn't do it any more.

"You know what guys, I'm feeling kind of sick, do you mind if we post pone the rest of the celebration for right now. Thanks, bye."

Sarah ran out the door of the restaurant and right to her car. She parked her car in the driveway, ran in the house and up to her room, and then was gone.

She stood in the door way of Bernard's room. "Bernard?"

Bernard turned around and smiled at her. They talked for a few minutes till Curtis barged in and ordered they go see Santa. When they got there Santa asked Sarah to take her hat off. She was a little nervous but had to do it. She saw out of the corner of her eye Bernard almost drop his mug, she wanted to cry, and she knew he wouldn't like it.

Sarah stood next to Bernard at the balcony in her room.

"Why didn't you tell me earlier?"

"Ohm, surprise?"

Sarah was embarrassed that she was so stupid not to come here right away. Bernard didn't continue the conversation but instead handed her a package. "I hope you like"

Sarah almost chocked when you opened the package up, it was beautiful. The snow globe alone was the prettiest she had ever seen, but when she shook it Bernard appeared and smiled up at her. "This way I'll always be with you" Sarah got shivers down her spine when Bernard whispered that in her ear.

Sarah took a deep breath, she had planned on telling him this for a while, she had rehearsed this moment in her head for hours, but now that it was here she was having trouble speaking. Finally Sarah pulled all her courage together.

"Bernard?"

"Yes?"

"There's one last thing that I want to confess."

She felt Bernard's gaze change. "What is it?"

She spun to look into his eyes, and drawing near to his face so there lips touched she whispered "I love you." She pressed her lips to his and gasped when she felt his return the gesture. Then Bernard slipped his hand behind her next and deepened this kiss till finally they pulled apart, and stood there holding each others hands and gazing into each others eyes.

A/N: 1, 2, 3 AWWWW. I'm not big on mushy stuff nor am I big on angst so it isen't going to be like this for the rest of the story, oh and sorry I had to change the end of the last chapter alittle cause I messed it up, she doesn't become an elf till she's 17.


	3. A Memory and an Accident

A/N: Hey Y'all (yes I actually do say that and I'm a Yankee) I liked this so much I decided not to finish and so I changed the name and the summary, I hope y'all like where it's going.

Sarah woke up to licks all over her face.

"Get off you two." She shoved her two Siberian wolves off her bed and stretched.

It had been a year sense she and Bernard had announced they were officially dating, to which the general consensus was…

"FINALLY!"

Sarah watched Nora and Balin, her wolves, playing on the floor as she remembered when she found them.

9 years ago

Sarah had once again gone wandering through the outskirts of the North Pole; despite Bernard forbidding her to because it was "dangerous" Sarah mocked Bernard out loud. It was then that she heard two little yelps and ran for them. She found two wolf pups cuddled up to a dead mother who no doubt was killed by poachers. Sarah quickly took off her coat and wrapped it around the pups and then ran back toward the kitchen so she could get them food.

"Have you run this by Bernard yet young miss?" The head elf-cook asked Sarah.

"Nope, but he could never say no to such cute helpless little things." Sarah knew very well he could say no, and probably would, so as soon as the pups were done she started toward the work shop so she could hide them in her room till she could ask Santa himself. Unfortunately just as she got to the workshop she looked up to see a very frazzled and upset looking Bernard.

"Where have you been, and what are THOSE?" He pointed toward the pups. "There is no way you are keeping wolves, they're way too dangerous."

"Oh grow up Bernard these pups would'nt-" Sarah was cut off by Bernard.

"Grow up? GROW UP? I can't believe you just dared tell me to grow up! I'm 2500 years old, and you're what? Nine?"

"Geese Bernard no reason to be a grouch."

Just before Bernard could say another word the door to the workshop opened and Sarah saw her chance. She scooped up the pups and ran for it, Bernard closely in tow; they raced right for Santa's office.

They burst through the door and both started to talk at the same time until Santa quieted them down.

"Now what's the problem?" Scott asked. "Sarah first."

"Well, I found these pups, and there's no mother, and they're really really cute. See?" At this she held one up quickly and put it back down. "Can I keep them pretty pretty please with a cherry on top?" She said all of this as quickly as she could then finished with a cute little smile only little girls can get away with.

Then Bernard started in. "Santa, certainly you see the unnecessary, not to mention dangerous threat this would bring?" He asked quite professionally.

"Actually Bernard, I think this would be a great thing for Sarah to keep them, it would teach her responsibility, and if she insists on wandering, which she does, they'll provide great protection."

Bernard's jaw dropped. "You're kidding me."

But Santa just laughed and Sarah smugly grinned and stuck her tongue out as she happily skipped out of the office to teach her new friends their way around.

Present

Sarah laughed as she came out of her memory, she and her wolves had gotten into a lot of trouble, but they were great companions and truly watched over her when things got bad.

A load crash made her jump, then she raced into the hallway out side her bedroom, it was open on the other side and looked down into the workshop. "Ah shit." Sarah murmured as she looked down at Chuck in a mess of the roof that collapsed when he ran into it. "That damn reindeer!" The damage would keep the elves from working and would take months to repair, and worst of all it was 2 weeks before Christmas.


End file.
